Purchasing a printer simply doesn’t fit well with the production curve of Photo ID Cards for most organizations

Most organizations need to rapidly produce an initial batch of cards in a short period of time. However, immediately following production of the initial batch, their requirements change to just the occasional replacement card, and cards for new hires. Needs are very different for these two phases of card production – leaving essentially two choices if a company chooses to buy its own equipment. Inevitably, a compromise must be made.

Over-dimensioned or under-dimensioned?

A company may decide to purchase a printer system large enough to meet its initial production needs. High volume systems are naturally more expensive and more complicated to set up. Typical photo id card production curve with unused capacity But once the initial large batch of cards has been produced, the company ends up with a system which will be under-utilized for the life of the asset – probably 3 to 5 years. If on the other hand the company purchases a small, low-volume printer to meet its ongoing needs, it will be unable to respond to the initial card issuance requirements. And smaller printers often result in a compromise in card quality, still require significant staff support, and are generally not cost-effective.

Outsourcing – the ideal solution

Outsourcing allows the organization to respond to the initial need of rapidly producing 100, 1,000, 10,000 or more cards. It also corresponds closely to the needs of ongoing, low-volume card production. Outsourcing adapts very flexibly to changing needs and requirements over time, while maintaining the highest levels of quality and service. For this reason, and because ID cards are never considered to be a “core competence”, ID card production is an ideal candidate for outsourcing. If you want to learn more about the benefits of outsourcing, click here.